1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flat gasket material formed of a sheet or web of indeterminate length of a carrier material printed on both sides with a sealing layer of predetermined geometrical structure and to a process for producing such a flat gasket material from a carrier material of indeterminate length.
2. Description of Related Art
In sealing technology, use is frequently made of gaskets, which comprise a carrier material, to which are applied sealing beads by means of a screen printing process. If it is necessary to have a two-sided coating of the carrier material with sealing beads, then both gasket sides must be individually and successively printed. This printing process is very time-consuming and therefore cost-intensive. In cases where specific sealing bead geometries are required on the carrier, there is no choice but to use this process. Of late, increasing significance has been attached to gaskets requiring no specific geometrical structures, but which are instead provided in full-surface manner with a sealing structure, e.g. a reticular, honeycomb or latticed structure. Such a structure is described in German patent application DE 37 24 5 15 A1, where each side of the gasket has to be individually printed.
The carrier material is formed from metallic or non-metallic materials onto which are pressed soft to hard, plastic or elastic polymeric masses, which are suitable for sealing two surfaces which are substantially static with respect to one another.